Here’s the Full Transcript and Video of Jesse Williams’ Powerful BET Awards Speech
The 2016 BET Awards are officially a wrap, and while there were plenty of winners on the night, nobody shined brighter than Grey’s Anatomy star Jesse Williams. During the show, Williams was given the 2016 Humanitarian Award by BET, and what followed was a powerful, touching, and monumental speech that will be remembered for years to come. Throughout the emotional speech, Williams spoke about the “Black Lives Matter” movement and how the award was really for the organizers and activists all over the country who are out working for equality throughout the country.
“This award is also for the black women in particular who have spent their lives nurturing everyone before themselves — we can and will do better for you,” Williams said. “There has been no war that we have not fought and died on the front lines of. There is no job we haven’t done, there is no tax they haven’t levied against us, and we have paid all of them.” The emotional speech was easily the biggest highlight of the star-studded evening, as he brought the crowd to its feet multiple times throughout the moving testament. While the video is available to watch above, you can now read the entire transcript of the speech below via Genius.
Read “2016 BET Humanitarian Award Speech” by Jesse Williams on Genius
